Sherman's Showcase

Sherman's Showcase is an American comedy television series created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle. The series premiered on July 31, 2019, on IFC. An hour long "Black History Month Spectacular" aired on June 19, 2020, and that same month a six-episode second season was confirmed, set to air on both IFC and AMC+ in 2022.

Premise
Sherman's Showcase is inspired by variety shows including Soul Train, American Bandstand, The Midnight Special, and In Living Color with each episode hosted by Sherman McDaniel as he takes viewers through time via music and comedy drawn from the forty-year library of a legendary (but fictitious) musical variety show. To do this, the series uses the plot device of presenting a series of paid programs involving the sale of a mostly-complete 23-disc set of 47 seasons of Sherman's Showcase, which are introduced by various celebrity hosts.

Cast

 * Bashir Salahuddin as Sherman McDaniels
 * Diallo Riddle as Dutch Shepherd

Cameos

 * Common
 * Lil Rel Howery
 * Tiffany Haddish
 * Ray J
 * Terrence J
 * Damon Wayans Jr.
 * Quincy Jones
 * Mike Judge
 * Ne-Yo
 * Marlon Wayans
 * Gary Anthony Williams
 * Colleen Camp
 * Phonte Coleman

Development
On July 29, 2017, it was announced that IFC had given the production an episodic script order. The series was created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle who were also expected to write and executive produce the potential series.

On May 3, 2018, it was announced that IFC had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of eight episodes. In addition to the previously announced creative team, it was announced that John Legend would serve as an executive producer. Production companies involved with the series include Get Lifted Film Co. and RadicalMedia.

On April 8, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on July 31, 2019.

Casting
Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Bashir Salahuddin would star as the host of the fictional variety series.

Reception
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.58/10, based on 21 reviews. The site's critics consensus reads: "Bold, brisk, and beautiful, Sherman's Showcase is a delightful and stylish sketch show that moves to its own groove and invites everyone to laugh along." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 76 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".